BYD, Ora, NIO: What are the new car brands on our roads? | Money

Do you feel the same way? You see new car brands on the road all the time. They are mostly electric cars from the Far East.

“In Germany there is a decrease in sales of electric cars, but that does not stop the Chinese. On the contrary, they are becoming more and more common in road traffic,” says Prof. Helena Wisbert, Director of the Automotive Research Center at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences This is also due to the attractive price-performance ratio. Manufacturers are offering discounts that are as high as they were last time in 2020. There is a discount of around 15 percent for electric vehicles (combustion engines: 17.5 percent ).

BILD offers ten new car brands:

BYD (Build Your Dreams)

China’s BYD Group wants to establish itself as the leading brand in Germany with a market share of up to ten percent. When or if the Shenzhen-based manufacturer will overtake industry leader Toyota remains to be seen. BYD is already the world’s largest producer of electric vehicles and batteries. There will be additions through the warranty agreement. BYD is UEFA’s new automotive partner for the men’s European Football Championship in the summer of 2024; The Chinese are replacing VW.

Human Limits

Chinese electric car company Human Horizons was founded in 2017. In April 2023, management in Shanghai published their expansion plans. First destination: Europe, especially Germany and Norway. Human Horizons already dominates the local market. According to its own information, the HiPhi X is the best-selling luxury SUV in China.

Xpeng

Xpeng, the full name of Xiaopeng Motors, headquartered in Guangzhou, China. Founded in 2014, this startup is also pushing into the European market. The XPeng G9 electric SUV is already available in the Netherlands. The electric car is scheduled to come to Germany in May, and a branch has already opened in Bavaria.

Yes

Chinese startup Nio offers electric vehicles in the mid to high price segment. The Shanghai-based company launched in Germany with the Nio ET7 model. The affordable ET5 sedan is now also available on German roads. Nio offers a battery replacement service to its customers;

Lynk & Co

Lynk & Co is owned by the Chinese car brand Geely (founded in 2016). Unlike previous manufacturers, Lynk & Co offers a plug-in hybrid and not an electric car. These are cars that can also be charged from a socket. Apart from renting or buying normally, you can also take out a car registration with Lynk & Co; You pay a fixed rate, the manufacturer takes care of insurance etc.

The way

Aiways, based in Shanghai, was founded in 2017. Aiways entered into an unusual partnership to distribute the vehicles in Germany. The SUV U5 can be purchased at the Euronics electronics store. The partnership was terminated in the summer of 2023.

Polestar

Polestar shops and cars are no longer common in Germany. Polestar is a partnership between the Swedish manufacturer Volvo and the Chinese company Geely. Polestar recently had to struggle with a sharp decline in sales. In the first quarter of 2024, the company sold 40 percent fewer cars than in the same quarter of the previous year.

It is not

Ora is owned by the Chinese conglomerate Great Wall Motors (GWM). The first model in Germany was the Ora Funky Cat. Ora has said goodbye to cat names and the model is now called GWM Ora 03. In China, the company handles pet names there called Haomao (German for beautiful cat).

Togg

Togg T10X is supposed to come to Germany from Turkey. Planned market launch: Autumn 2024 The Turkish electric car manufacturer was founded in 2018. Togg is an association of the largest Turkish companies under the umbrella of the Turkish stock exchange TOBB.

Vinfast

Vinfast was founded in 2017. The Vietnamese company is headquartered in Hải Phòng. Expansion has so far been slow for the group. Founder Pham Nhat (55) has now taken the helm himself and aims to move to America. In Germany, Vinfast has showrooms in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and Oberhausen (near Duisburg).